Jill Ellis facts for kids
Ellis at the Algarve Cup in March 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jillian Anne Ellis | ||
| Date of birth | 6 September 1966 | ||
| Place of birth | Folkestone, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
San Diego Wave FC (president) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1984 | Robinson Rams | ||
| –1984 | Braddock Road Bluebelles | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1984–1987 | William & Mary Tribe | (32) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1988–1990 | NC State Wolfpack (assistant) | ||
| 1994–1996 | Maryland Terrapins (assistant) | ||
| 1996–1997 | Virginia Cavaliers (assistant) | ||
| 1997–1998 | Illinois Fighting Illini | ||
| 1999–2010 | UCLA Bruins | ||
| 2000 | United States U21 | ||
| 2005 | United States U21 | ||
| 2007 | United States U20 | ||
| 2008 | United States (assistant) | ||
| 2009–2010 | United States U20 | ||
| 2011–2012 | United States (assistant) | ||
| 2012 | United States (interim) | ||
| 2014 | United States (interim) | ||
| 2014–2019 | United States | ||
Jillian "Jill" Anne Ellis (born 6 September 1966) is an English-American football manager and executive. She is famous for coaching the United States women's national team to victory in two FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments in 2015 and 2019.
Winning two World Cups in a row made her only the second coach in history to do so for any senior national team, men's or women's. After her amazing success, she became an ambassador for the United States Soccer Federation. She now works as the Chief Football Officer for FIFA, the world's governing body for football. She was also the president of the San Diego Wave FC.
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Early Life and Playing Days
Jill Ellis was born in England but didn't play organized football as a young girl because there weren't many teams for girls in the UK at the time. Her family moved to the United States in 1981, and that's when her football journey really began.
She joined the team at Robinson Secondary School in Virginia and led them to a state championship in 1984. That same year, her club team, the Braddock Road Bluebelles, won a national title.
For college, Ellis played as a forward for William & Mary from 1984 to 1987. She was a star player, scoring 32 goals during her time there and being named a third-team All-American.
A Famous Coaching Career
Ellis has a top-level coaching license from the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Her career includes coaching college teams, U.S. national youth teams, and finally, the U.S. women's national team.
Starting as a College Coach
Ellis began her coaching career as an assistant at several universities, including North Carolina State, Maryland, and Virginia. She then became the head coach for the Illinois Fighting Illini, where she helped improve the team's record.
Her most successful college coaching job was at the UCLA Bruins. From 1999 to 2010, she led the team to eight NCAA Women's College Cups, which is the championship tournament for college soccer. Under her leadership, UCLA won six conference titles in a row. In 2000, she was named the National Coach of the Year.
Leading National Youth Teams
Ellis also coached the U.S. under-21 and under-20 women's national teams. She led them to victory in several international tournaments. In 2011, she became the development director for all U.S. women's youth teams, helping to guide and train young players and their coaches across the country.
Head Coach of the U.S. Women's National Team
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Before becoming the head coach, Ellis was an assistant coach for the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She also served as the interim (temporary) head coach in 2012 and 2014.
In May 2014, Ellis was officially named the permanent head coach. Her main goal was to win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Winning Two World Cups
At the 2015 World Cup, Ellis led the U.S. team to an amazing victory. They defeated Japan 5–2 in the final match. For this achievement, she was named the 2015 FIFA World Coach of the Year.
Four years later, she did it again. At the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France, she coached the team to another championship, beating the Netherlands 2–0 in the final. This made her the first coach ever to win two Women's World Cup titles.
After the 2019 victory, Ellis stepped down as head coach. She left with an incredible record of 106 wins, 19 draws, and only 7 losses in 132 matches.
Life After Coaching the National Team
After leaving her coaching role, Ellis became the president of a new professional women's soccer team, the San Diego Wave FC, in 2021. She helped build the team from the ground up, hiring its first coach and general manager.
In 2024, a former employee made claims about a difficult work environment at the club. The club and Ellis stated that these claims were untrue.
Later, Ellis took on a major role at FIFA as the Chief Football Officer. In this position, she helps develop football strategies for the entire world.
Personal Life
Ellis grew up in a small village near Portsmouth, England. Her father, John Ellis, was a football coach who worked around the world for the British government. He inspired her love for the game. In 1981, her family moved to Virginia in the United States.
Ellis earned a degree in English from the College of William and Mary. She later became a naturalized American citizen, along with her parents and brother.
She lives in Florida with her wife, Betsy Stephenson, and their daughter, Lily. In 2022, she was honored with the Great Immigrants Award by the Carnegie Corporation of New York for her contributions to American society.
Managerial Honors
College Coaching
- 1988 Atlantic Coast Conference title (as assistant coach)
- 2000 NSCAA National Coach of the Year
- Six Pacific-10 Conference titles (2003–2008)
United States Women's Team
- 2008 Olympic Gold Medal (as assistant coach)
- 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Champion
- 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Champion
- FIFA World Women's Coach of the Year (2015, 2019)
See also
In Spanish: Jill Ellis para niños
- Vittorio Pozzo, the first manager to win the FIFA World Cup twice in a row.
- 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup squads
- 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship squads
